Good beginning: Ohio's stimulus dollars save, create 14,000+ jobs

So far it sounds like the stimulus dollars spent in Ohio are off to a solid start.

The Associated Press this week reported that Ohio's most needy citizens have benefited substantially from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with a large portion of federal stimulus dollars spent on unemployment benefits, Medicaid payments and other social service programs. Education was a big winner, too.

Equally important, according to preliminary state reports released on Tuesday, more than 13 thousand jobs were saved or created in Ohio. Plus, an additional 669 jobs were reported just today by the feds. Keep in mind that these figures do not include funds distributed to cities, counties, and other agencies -- only state and federal, according to an update from today's Plain Dealer.

Now consider the ripple effect for local communities and businesses! I wish we had figures on that, too. In fact, I suspect our state unemployment rate (10.8 percent for August) likely would be higher if the stimulus bill had not passed in February.

Want to know exactly where the recovery and reinvestment legislation is generating results by saving jobs and creating new ones? Get a national picture and zoom all the way down to zip code or congressional district on the federal government's http://www.recovery.gov/ website. Check out the interactive maps to identify what companies were awarded exactly how much money and how many jobs those dollars generated.

You can also go straight to http://www.recovery.ohio.gov/for Ohio's data.

Cancer ribbon colors spread hope, encourage healthy choices

Nearly everyone knows what the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness stand for, but do you about gray, lime, orange, periwinkle or dark blue?

I didn't, until I was inspired by OCSEA District Council VI to learn more about the many different types of cancer and their respective ribbon colors.

Go to http://www.choosehope.com/ for a complete list or print a list (PDF) to share with others.

OCSEA leaders in Central Ohio hosted "Dance for the Cure" on Thursday, Oct. 8, to raise awareness among union members and their families and friends about the different types of cancer. Check out the photo album at www.Facebook.com/OCSEA or www.ocsea.org/photos.

Health care experts say awareness can help people reduce risks, identify signs, and increase early detection and treatment, according to the American Cancer Society.

While I've got health issues on your mind, consider participating in a Take Charge! Live Well! health screening this fall. Check the online schedule for upcoming events set for workplaces statewide.

Doctors recommend regular flu shot AND H1N1 vaccine this fall

This morning my husband sent me a calendar invite that I certainly would have rejected just a short few weeks ago. But that was before I was knocked down for 5 days with a nasty flu. When prompted today to accept the appointment, I didn't hesitate. And for a lady who prefers vitamin C, other herbal remedies, and my 99-year-old Aunt Mimi's special "tea" (hot water, lemon juice, honey, and touch of whiskey) to a vaccine shot, this was a big step.

Thanks to our doctor's awesome nurse who called David today to schedule me and our son Jacob, we'll both be getting "stuck" on Saturday morning. My better half got his yesterday, and I suspect we'll all seek the H1N1 vaccine as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as soon as it becomes available.

In the meantime, I'm visiting websites like Flu.gov to learn more about the vaccine which may be available sooner than anticipated. Gov. Ted Strickland and Dr. Alvin Jackson, director of the state's health department, yesterday held a press conference to brief the public on Ohio's flu front, according to today's Plain Dealer.

"Ohio is reporting widespread influenza activity to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," Jackson said. "Such activity is certainly unusual for this time of the season. So what that tells us is that (the) H1N1 flu pandemic is strengthening and showing no signs of slowing."

To identify when the H1N1 vaccine will be offered in your community, contact your local health department or call the Ohio Department of Health's H1N1 Information line at 1-866-800-1404.

As the flu pandemic progresses, be sure to check out www.ocsea.org/swineflu or www.ocsea.org/H1N1 for updates relevant to state employee union members.

Prepare now! Learn online about H1N1 virus

Maybe you're like me and you've already had "the flu" yourself this fall or you know someone who is fighting it now. The dreaded H1N1 virus that surfaced last spring and was predicted to return this fall with a vengeance is arriving in homes, schools, businesses and workplaces near you.

That's why there's no better time than now to get prepared. See below for a list of government websites designed to educate the public about what it is, how to tell if you've got it, and what to do about it:

• Ohio Department of Health Pandemic H1N1 Information
  
• Ohio Pandemic H1N1 Vaccine Information
  
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention: 2009 H1N1 Flu
  
• FLU.gov: What to do...
  
• Columbus Dispatch: Complete Coverage on the swine flu outbreak
  

As the flu pandemic progresses, be sure to check out www.ocsea.org/swineflu or www.ocsea.org/H1N1 for updates relevant to union-represented public employees.